The Baltimore County union., 1887-08-06
SOMETHING FOR THE FARMERS.
The Substance of the Bill to Equalize Tax
alton in the Interest of Agriculture.


The committee appointed at the late Maryland
submitted to the next Legislature to equalze tax
alton in the interest of agriculture, held meet
ing in Baltimore, few days ago, and agreed upon
the measure, which is to be submitted to another
meeting of the association. The bill includes
these provisions:
Section provides that all taxes shall be levied
upon the present valuation of property, and all
necessary changes in valuation, instead of requir
ing the expenses of general assessment, shall be
made by the annual returns as provided for in Sec
tion 5.
Section 2eaumerates all the exemptions allowed,
viz, schools for free education places of worship,
cemeteries not owned with view to profit, public
buildings belonging to the national government,
the state and countless all real estate to the -ex-
tent of mortgages and other liens upon it, and
provides for making the owners of mortgage and
judgement lions pay taxes on the amount invested
therein.
Section sets forth in detail the property that
is included under the terms "Real," personal" !"
"Investments" and "Credits."
Section makes provision for every person pro-
curing blank from the tax collector, and making
annual returns of all property and investments
held by him or her in their own right, or in any
iduciary character.
returns by the county commissioners, with power
to examine all persons as to the correctness of
their returns, to assess all persons who do not
make returns, and to impose penalties upon all
persons failing to make such returns
Section fixes the principle of valuation for
improvements on farming lands, to be charged
only at their true agricultural value, and also fixes
the principle of valuation for Improvements on
city and town lands.
Section provides for the collection of taxes on
the stock in trade of persons who commence busi-
ness after the levy.
Section 10 provides for collecting taxes from all
transient and travelling people engaging in busi-
| ness in this state.
| Section IL makes provision for taxing the gross
receipts of foreign corporations doing business in
this state.
| Section IL provides for the return to be made
by manufacturers of the material for the pur-
| pose of taxation.
Section l3 gives the form of the blank to be
used in making annual returns for the correction
| of the levy list.
| Section IA gives the form of the blank to be
| used by corporations and joint stock companies
| in making returns for the purposes of taxation.
Sections Is, 16 and II provide in detail for the
valuation of the property and collection of the
taxes from corporations and joint stock companies.
| Section IS provides for assessing and collecting
taxes on the property of railroad companies.
| Section 10 makes null and void all contracts
| and covenants on the part of debtors to pay the
| taxes on mortgages and judgments held against
them.
| The committee also had under consideration
the principle of taxing the gross earnings of cor
| porations which has been adopted in some Of the
states, and which they claim has worked very sat
isfactoriIy, as well as the graduated income tax
passed by the New York legislature. This law
imposes tax of one per cent. on incomes over
$3,000 two per cent. on incomes of $10,0 ,000 seven
per cent. on incomes from $4,000 to S5O,OOO,
twenty per cent. on incomes from $50 600 to $780,
| 900, and fifty Der cent on incomes over $100, 900.